OK, let's go point by point on this, because I think you are ignoring whole aspects of reality, and this leads you to erroneous conclusions.
First, some factual claims:
Where did you read this?
And this?
It has been in the media for past few weeks, Roberto willing to cut payment if he gets long term contract was reported around yesterday or something.
Weird that you get that news about Laporta willing to go to court and didn't get the other parts, why do you think he is threatening them
Edit: I have mentioned you in the Laporta thread
Then, the core of your thought is one-dimensional on this:
You are assuming that what is important is whether "under contract/under no contract", without taking into consideration the context.
Messi isn't just any player, who happens to be under contract.
He is up there with the Barca Legends, maybe on the top of the list.
Everybody knows how much he was getting paid on his last contract,
everybody knows how much PSG and City were willing to pay him,
everybody knows no one has 'earned it' more than him to get paid more than anyone else in the squad.
So, just by Messi renewing with 50% cut, the signal is sent to everyone else under contract.
It is irony that you call my thoughts one-dimensional, when you keep building up upon same naive idea: peer pressure.
You are assuming that anyone cares what Messi will do?
Those players has the biggest ego you can imagine, it is part of how they achieve their success,
You think they will gladly take pay cut because Messi just did that? because it sends a signal?
Dude, come on now. Those guys will respect Messi right to make their choice, but the moment this affects them no one will care about Messi status.
Squads are not just a conglomerate of athletes under contract. Maybe that's just a way to see this, but it's very far from reality.
Squads are communities with hierarchy and status.
In the Barca squad, Messi -who renewed with a 50% cut - is on the top of that hierarchy.
In the Barca squad, Pique - who publicly agreed to the cut - is very high on the hierarchy.
In the Barca squad again, Griezman is quite low on the hierarchy.
There are many reasons for that (like that he hasn't performed, he is not Barca-bred, he does not fit in with Messi, and many others), but that's the harsh truth.
Contract is a labor agreement that is agreed between a player and a team. It is more powerful than any hierarchy.
That contract is the essence of the "business" as a whole.
Agents won't let that go easily, they will fight to death for it. Especially if they are getting fucked because a player with no actual football agent like Messi.
Griezmann might not be a top of hierarchy in Barca, but he is surely ahead of finished Pique in football atm, and has achieved plenty of success and fame in his career. In football hierarchy only Messi is ahead of him.
There are non-business sides in football, but it isn't "hierarchy" but more about loyalty and willingness to succeed.
Griezmann owns us no loyalty, and he isn't going to let us decide his future for any "hierarchy"
Again, what is the reason for his agent? What is the reason for his family to push him to accept the club terms?
What is our own leverage? And please no "Messi is getting pay cut" type of response.
He can't (not legally, but in real life) be getting paid more than Messi. This will never happen, mark my words.
He can't (not legally, but in real life) be getting the same wage, when all Barca heavyweights have agreed to 50% or more pay-cut.
Because his status in the squad can never allow him that.
When Laporta said 'pay-cuts or there is no club', Griezman knows very well that *IF* (that IF is important here) he is gonna still be a Barca player next season, he will adjust like everyone else.
And it's really irrelevant how his personal reasons (wife/GF, desired place of residence) factor in here, that's something he himself considers of course for his own benefit, but the club and his teammates do not give a fuck about that.
By the way, without realizing, you stated another reason why the Catalan-bred will agree to the pay-cut in 0 time.
Messi on half what is paid will be (based on many reports) still getting paid more than Griezmann.
Even if Griezmann wage is 45M (highest reported) and Messi will accept 40M (lowest reported, both are gross) and he takes a 7M pay cut or something, it isn't enough for what the club need to register Messi.
And regarding the bolded part: are you serious? do you know anything about this business? Come on now.
There are good portion of football transfers that are decided by the family rather than the player themselves, and there are even more that we don't know where the family are the ones who push the player to certain decision.
You seriously any of those player of Griezmann caliber don't have a dozen of people helping him to make a decision? gettiong notes on his market and what he decides? really?
And yes, the Catalan players have something to look for, but even them were heavily reported to not being easy to negotiate with, something you have ignored for past few weeks.
A) is simply and plainly false.
Look what the club told clearly and loudly Dembele about his renewal.
Same will be said to Griezman if no transfer is possible nearing the end of the summer window.
Because Laporta ain't no Barto, and he is not bluffing here. He knows what to do, and as in his first tenure he got rid of the old guard by releasing players and cutting wages, he is gonna do it again. With Messi agreeing to 50% cut, and Pique and co following suit, he is never gonna budge with a player who is low in the pecking order of the squad.
That's about whether club can sit him on the stands. Of course it can!
If we get to this point and Griezman cannot get transfered out by the end of the window, and mark my words here, he will agree to whatever pay-cut is necessary along the likes of the rest of the squad.
Because, he will never risk his
i) fitness-form
ii) image
iii) reputation
iv) future career
for the sake of his current wages.
That's not his personality to begin with, and most importantly, I repeat again, this can be done ONLY by players who have NOTHING to lose (a.ka. Bale or Umtiti for different reasons) no future career, do not care about their image and reputation.
So the only thing left is their paycheck.
B)
That's wrong as well.
If Griezman chooses to sit on the contract and not play (which he will never do as explained above), the only thing he will gain (apart from the money)
will be the power to fully determine his next club.
But, hey! Would there be any after him with 2 years on the stands? Even Atletico will change their minds.
LEt alone France NT and the WC.
Never happening in a million years. He is not that dumb/parasite.
A) How many big clubs benched a player fully capable of helping them to force him out? It happens only with players refusing to renew.
Only precedent I know about is Bale, and he still got 20 games (1.2k minutes) and he 14 starts that year.
Feel free to tell me about any other examples.
B) In the example mentioned above, Bale still got what he wants next year btw.
And for the record, how do you know he isn't "that dumb/parasite"?
The guy already said that he only want to play 3 seasons in Europe before enjoying MLS, he is already near retirement and he can just collect his check regardless.
Do you know him personally or something? because it is weird you are that confident
PS: Finally, you take the leaks from his entourage word for word as facts about what will happen.
You keep assuming that those are leaks from his entourage, but maybe they are actually from the club? You made an assumption and acting like it is a sure thing.
And now, as we speak there is reports about agreed deal between Spurs and City for Kane. Basically ruling out the only EPL that could have went after him (Chelsea rarely pay anything for a player 30+)
